Post-its for a whole day? Really!

The object of my desire

Just when you think it's going to be easy, it isn't.

So I learned yet again today (Monday).  "All" I wanted was a large stack of post-it notes for us to use when we do the analysis after our class does ethnographic visits.  Plus for Elba and me to use as we do our design exercise for the HCD course being given by Acumen+/IDEO.

Oh, and brightly colored ones please.

That doesn't seem like such a tall order - especially since I have a lovely stack on my desk that I brought with me from California when I came down.

But apparently, it was.

First I went to Amazon.  Post-it's, yes.  And even some lovely colors but not many and not the ones I wanted - just like the ones I have on my desk.

Finally, I gave up and tried Office Max.

No dice.

Office Depot?  Nope, not them either.

Yes, there were post-its but not the ones I want.

I wracked my brain to figure out where I got my stack from and came up with a blank.  So much was happening right before I left that I just couldn't recall.

Drat!

I decided to "look away from the path" and do something else, hoping that my brain would kick in with the right answer if I just waited long enough.

It got to be 2 pm.  3 pm. 4 pm.

And then... Eureka!  It was Staples!  I went to the Staples.com website.  Sure enough, there they were.  But, since I was on the Computer Engineering department network, I couldn't access my VPN.  And therefore, Staples "thought" I was in, well, Latin America.  Because I am, physically, but it will be ordered using a US credit card and sent to a US address.  So I am and I'm not.

Curses, foiled again!

So tonight, I carefully logged in to my VPN and - voila! I was able to order just what I wanted.  They should come to our neighbor and then David can unwrap them and bring them along to CHI.

He may not be so thrilled but I'm going to be!

Sunday's portrait: Minnesota Nice (PPPP#2)

Gerry and Grace

Today's portrait is of Gerry and Grace, the membership folks at Balboa Union Church.  Turns out they are from - you guessed it - Minnesota!  No wonder they were so incredibly nice!

I met them at church, where I immediately noticed Grace's fabulous bead bracelets!  And then, she mentioned they were from Minnesota - and, well, that totally clinched it - I knew I had to get to know her better.  And her husband.  Gerry is tall and handsome with twinkling eyes and a wonderful smile. The two of them are so Minnesota Nice - in the very best way (that term is sometimes used in a derogatory manner - not so here!)  We talked at lunch, and then they volunteered to bring me back home - quite a distance from downtown!

We stopped at a grocery store I've been told I HAVE to go to - Riba Smith - and it's as great as folks have said it is (though, truth be told, I didn't really explore because I needed to be back home to meet Karla, my Fulbright "handler" and co-teacher of the HCI course at UTP to discuss the course)  I will definitely have to return for a more leisurely explore!

Then, the funniest coincidence of all:  They lived in the adjacent building when they originally moved here a couple of years ago!  They were waiting for their furniture to arrive and needed a furnished place for a couple of months so they rented in Torre - or Tower - 200 (I'm in Torre 300) in Green Park!  Is this a small world or is it a tiny one?!

I'm looking forward to getting to know them - and a number of other fascinating BUC folks - and know their presence in my life will make it even richer!

See?  Another Sunday blessing!

Sunday Blessings: Balboa Union Church

Today, I set off just after 9 am to head to the Balboa Union Church.  The guard called a cab - after yesterday's "adventure" I had no desire for a repeat, plus on Sunday, there is very little traffic and almost no cab traffic on Via Condado del Rey (my street)  So it was an un-eventful and pleasant trip through town to Balboa where the Balboa Union Church is.  I had chosen this church after much web surfing at home because it was the only English-speaking church in Panama City that is not evangelical and fundamentalist.  For me, that made it a better fit.  I also really liked their motto:
"Unity in Essentials; Liberty in Non-essentials; Charity in all things."  If that intrigues you, you can find out more at their website (where I first found them):  http://www.balboaunionchurch.org/index.php

Upon arriving, I was greeted by Martha M - a wonderfully extroverted and inviting woman who swept me in to meet others who were gathering for the service.  The building is quite large, but the congregation itself numbers only around 20ish.  I got to meet most of them and they were wonderfully welcoming.  I felt right at home, despite the small size.

The chancel is quite lovely and the pianist played on a Steinway grand!  It was a really nice service - and the sermon was extremely insightful and interesting.  I had never seen the opening chapters of Genesis quite this way before, and it got me thinking in the best of ways.  We sang a number of hymns that were familiar - and some that were not.  All in all, a very nice worship experience.

But the best part came afterwards.  One couple was moving back up to Canada for the northern summer, so a significant number of the congregation went to lunch to bid them adieu.  They took me right along with them and made me feel completely at ease and accepted.  It was a very, very nice way to get to hang out with them and to get to know them better.

Needless to say, I plan to "see them in church" come this Sunday!